How to remove paver sealer residue from pool tiles

[Cindy Lou]

We recently had the paver deck around our pool sealed with a water-based sealer. Evidently, the over-spray got into the pool water, and the sealer ended up drying on our pool tile leaving a white line on the tile around the entire pool.

Any idea what I could use to remove the sealer without damaging the tile?
Thank you.

 

[ajw22]

What type of tile is it - ceramic or glass?

You can try a pumice stone in a spot and see how it does. Try Pool Blok PB-12 by US Pumice with a lot of elbow grease. Get the large size.

 

[JamesW]

I would avoid any type of abrasive.

A solvent might work.

Find out exactly which sealer was used and look up the recommended solvent for thinning or cleaning or contact the company to inquire which solvent will work best.

You should also contact the tile manufacturer to see what types of solvent can be used to clean the tiles without damaging them or causing the color to change.

 

[JamesW]

I would err on the side of caution as it does not look too bad and I would rather leave it alone than risk causing any type of damage to the tiles.

So, unless you are 100% sure that the cleaning method is safe, it would be better to do nothing.

Also, solvent is very difficult to apply without dripping into the water due to the vertical tiles being right in the water.

You don't want solvent getting in the water and you should follow all safety precautions when handling solvents or other hazardous chemicals.

 

[Cindy Lou]

What type of tile is it - ceramic or glass?

You can try a pumice stone in a spot and see how it does. Try Pool Blok PB-12 by US Pumice with a lot of elbow grease. Get the large size.

What type of tile is it - ceramic or glass?

You can try a pumice stone in a spot and see how it does. Try Pool Blok PB-12 by US Pumice with a lot of elbow grease. Get the large size.

What type of tile is it - ceramic or glass?

You can try a pumice stone in a spot and see how it does. Try Pool Blok PB-12 by US Pumice with a lot of elbow grease. Get the large size.

Ceramic tile. Good idea. I’ll give that a try and let you know if it works. I tried scrubbing with a stiff nylon scrubber and it didn’t do anything.

 

[Cindy Lou]

I would avoid any type of abrasive.

A solvent might work.

Find out exactly which sealer was used and look up the recommended solvent for thinning or cleaning or contact the company to inquire which solvent will work best.

You should also contact the tile manufacturer to see what types of solvent can be used to clean the tiles without damaging them or causing the color to change.

Thank you.

 

[Cindy Lou]

I would err on the side of caution as it does not look too bad and I would rather leave it alone than risk causing any type of damage to the tiles.

So, unless you are 100% sure that the cleaning method is safe, it would be better to do nothing.

Also, solvent is very difficult to apply without dripping into the water due to the vertical tiles being right in the water.

You don't want solvent getting in the water and you should follow all safety precautions when handling solvents or other hazardous chemicals.

To me it looks horrible. The pool was completely remodeled 2 years ago. I hope I won’t have to live with it like this. I’ll do some research as to the type of sealer was applied and get the recommended solvent. I’m thinking if I drain the pool a little and work carefully I can avoid getting the solvent in the water. I’m also going to try using a pumice stone first to see if that will remove the sealer.
Thank you for your suggestions!

 

[JamesW]

I’m also going to try using a pumice stone first to see if that will remove the sealer.

Anything abrasive enough to remove sealer will probably scratch the tile.

I would not use pumice.

 

[Cindy Lou]

Anything abrasive enough to remove sealer will probably scratch the tile.

I would not use pumice.

Thank you. I’ve been googling using pumice on ceramic tile. About half the articles say it’s ok and half say it isn’t. I really don’t want to ruin the tile so I won’t be using it.

 

[ajw22]

Thank you. I’ve been googling using pumice on ceramic tile. About half the articles say it’s ok and half say it isn’t. I really don’t want to ruin the tile so I won’t be using it.

My suggestion was to try the pumice stone in a small area and see if it works and the effect on your tile. You will need to decide if you would rather have a few scratches on your tile or the sealer ring and hope it wears off naturally over time.

Ceramic tile does not show scratches as much as glass tile does.

 

[JamesW]

The builder should have left some spare tile.

You can try the different cleaning methods on a spare piece.

In any case, I would not want scratches.

Solvent should remove water based sealer.

Solvent won’t damage most tile, but you should try a test spot on a spare piece to be sure.

 

[ajw22]

I find that my pool guests do not examine my tile under a microscope.

Some scrubbing and polishing may have the tile look fine for pool use.

 

[JamesW]

A few minor scratches probably won't be noticed by most people.

 

[ajw22]

A few minor scratches probably won't be noticed by most people.

View attachment 468890

Are you implying the that those scratches were caused by a pumice stone?

I suggest the OP do her own test and reach her own conclusions.

 

[ajw22]

I do not find obtuse statements trying to defend comments helpful to solving the OP problem.

There are a few fixes suggested that can be tried and the OP can make choices.

 

[Cindy Lou]

The builder should have left some spare tile.

You can try the different cleaning methods on a spare piece.

In any case, I would not want scratches.

Solvent should remove water based sealer.

Solvent won’t damage most tile, but you should try a test spot on a spare piece to be sure.

I tried a pumice stone on a few tiles and it didn’t do anything.
I then tried Goo Gone on one tile and it removed the sealer residue. Hurray!
When it warms up a little (I live in Florida and it‘s freezing here ) I’ll drain a little water from the pool and clean the rest of the tiles.
Thank you very much for your suggestions. I really appreciate it!